Question for those who have been on the interview committee...

[bamtuba]

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So I keep reading these posts that tell people "don't worry about how many schools you apply to...the other schools never know!"😉

And others that say "yeah, they only find out after you're accepted at a certain point if you hold other acceptances."🙂

And I've even read the posts talking about the accidental release of this information back when AMCAS first went electronic.😱

However, I spoke with a current medical student who was on a committee last year (and plans to be again this year) who told me that his committee was questioning the reason people applied to their school when "students were applying to so many other schools."

So here's the question for those who have been on a committee (or know those who have): do you really know where people apply?

I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist with regard to things like this, but it seems to me that schools might like to know this info and might not be too quick to share with applicants that they actually do know this going into the application season.

Thanks ahead of time for those willing to share!

 

[amph119]

I hate the idea that committees would use the number of schools you apply to for or against you. As long as an applicant can truly say why they are interested in a particular school (and does a good job in demonstrating that interest in interviews and secondaries), it shouldn't matter whether they applied to 1 or 100 schools.

 

[MrBurns10]

No, the adcom doesn't know where else you applied. Sometime in March, if you've been accepted (I think) they find out where else you've been accepted.

 

[LizzyM]

The committees assume that you have applied to numerous schools because given the odds of being accepted to any one school, you'd be a fool to apply to just one or only a few.

In some cases, when we have to waitlist people (and knowing that we'll never have enough slots for everyone on the waitlist) we make ourselves feel better by saying, "this is a good applicant who will have offers at other good schools".

We do not have the names of the schools -- we did in 2001 when there was a glitch in the AMCAS application process but not since then.

 

[Dentalogist]

of course itll affect you

 

[STLMako91]

The committees assume that you have applied to numerous schools because given the odds of being accepted to any one school, you'd be a fool to apply to just one or only a few.

In some cases, when we have to waitlist people (and knowing that we'll never have enough slots for everyone on the waitlist) we make ourselves feel better by saying, "this is a good applicant who will have offers at other good schools".

We do not have the names of the schools -- we did in 2001 when there was a glitch in the AMCAS application process but not since then.

While the committees don't know the names of the other schools, will it still know the number of other schools applied to?

One of my friends was asked during an interview why he only applied to one medical school total, and he thinks that was the reason why he did not get accepted.

 

[Ismet]

While the committees don't know the names of the other schools, will it still know the number of other schools applied to?

One of my friends was asked during an interview why he only applied to one medical school total, and he thinks that was the reason why he did not get accepted.

No. Maybe your friend said it or wrote it somewhere in his application. Or maybe he applied early decision. But no, we don't know how many schools you apply to (unless you're early decision obviously)

 

[What's Up Doc]

I hate the idea that committees would use the number of schools you apply to for or against you. As long as an applicant can truly say why they are interested in a particular school (and does a good job in demonstrating that interest in interviews and secondaries), it shouldn't matter whether they applied to 1 or 100 schools.

If you only apply to 1 school it shows that you're not very invested in becoming a doctor since you're willing to take that kind of chance on getting into med school; people have been rejected before for that very reason. Otherwise, I totally agree with you, the ability to demonstrate interest in a particular school should always significantly outweigh the number that you apply to.